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Innovation Gamechangers

This past week, SBR had the chance to sit down with Boston Children’s Hiep ‘Bob’ Nguyen, MD, Director of Pediatric TeleUrology, and his research fellow Chad Gridley to discuss some of the projects underway that are innovating care delivery. Bob, recently named a Champion of Healthcare by the Boston Business Journal, is a real game changer who is always at the forefront of revolutionizing care through the utilization of new technologies to better facilitate communication and engage patients.

Q: How is Boston Children’s innovating today?

Boston Children’s is a very forward thinking hospital. They recognize the capabilities of current technologies and are doing a great job of utilizing them. I think they’ve done an especially great job of creating mobile device apps. For example, hospitals are known for being difficult to navigate. The hospital has created a free app that is downloaded to your phone that helps patients and their families get to anywhere in the hospital.

Q: What are the challenges in innovating?

The most challenging aspect is trying to advance multiple projects simultaneously. The hospital has a wealth of innovative staff and given our close proximity to world-class educational institutions, there is never a shortage of startups wanting to collaborate with the hospital.

Q: How is video communications shaping innovation in care delivery? Why is this important?

Video communication is bringing patients and healthcare providers closer together than ever before. The process of getting a child ready, driving to the hospital, and sitting in the waiting room can take the better part of the day. For many parents, this is a great burden and sometimes isn’t even an option. By utilizing available technologies, patients can more easily reach their physician from their own home. This has the potential for increasing patient satisfaction as well as increasing patient follow up.